Process for the recovery of carbon dioxide

1. A process for the recovery of carbon dioxide, comprising:

a) an absorption step of bringing a carbon dioxide-containing gaseous feed stream into gas-liquid contact with an absorbing fluid, whereby at least a portion of the carbon dioxide present in the gaseous stream is absorbed into the absorbing fluid to produce (i) a refined gaseous stream having a reduced carbon dioxide content and (ii) a carbon dioxide-rich absorbing fluid, and

b) a regeneration step of treating the carbon dioxide-rich absorbing fluid at a pressure of greater than 3 bar (absolute pressure) so as to liberate carbon dioxide and regenerate a carbon dioxide-lean absorbing fluid which is recycled for use in the absorption step,

wherein the absorbing fluid is an aqueous amine solution containing a tertiary aliphatic alkanol amine selected from the group consisting of N-ethyldiethanolamine, 2-(diethylamino)-ethanol, 3-(dimethylamino)-1-propanol and 3-(diethylamino)-1-propanol, and an effective amount of a carbon dioxide absorption promoter,

wherein the carbon dioxide absorption promoter is selected from the group consisting of: piperazine, 2-methylpiperazine, N-methylpiperazine, N-ethylpiperazine, N-hydroxyethyl piperazine, homopiperazine, piperidine, and morpholine.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the absorbing fluid contains 20 to 60% by weight of the tertiary aliphatic alkanol amine.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the absorbing fluid contains 0.5 to 20% by weight of the carbon dioxide absorption promoter.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein the regeneration step is carried out at a pressure of from greater than 3 bar to 10 bar (absolute pressure).

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the liberated carbon dioxide is introduced into a compression device.